Magnetic Feshbach resonances in ultracold atom-molecule collisions

Abstract

We report numerically exact quantum scattering calculations on magnetic Feshbach resonances in ultracold, strongly anisotropic atom-molecule [Rb($^2$S) + SrF($^2Σ^+$)] collisions based on state-of-the-art ab initio potential energy surfaces. We find broad resonances mediated by the intermolecular spin-exchange interaction, as well as narrow resonances due to the intramolecular spin-rotation interaction, which are unique to atom-molecule collisions. Remarkably, the density of resonances in atom-molecule collisions is not much higher than that in atomic collisions despite the presence of a dense manifold of molecular rotational states, which can be rationalized by analyzing the adiabatic states of the collision complex.